THE BEST AND WORST OF 2007

Everyone's doing it, why not me? Highs and lows come around every year, this year just had more than it's fair share of HIGHS! Thanks to Star Wars...

THE BEST AND WORST OF 2007


This past year had been am amazing one for the Star Wars galaxy. The 30th Anniversary of the release of ANH, known in those days simply as Star Wars did not pass unnoticed!

Personally, I can hardly believe that thirty years have passed since my older sister told me, "You HAVE to go see this movie. I'll baby sit, GO!" And so we went. Who among us can say they weren't awed when the Imperial Start Destroyer passed overhead... unforgettable...

But popular things come and go, and Star Wars has had its lulls, but to see the amazing popularity that thrives today is both heartwarming and amazing. Star Wars is truly forever.

The highlight of the year for me had to be Celebration IV. My first convention, and wow, was it worth the trip! Grampy-Wan and I drove across the Dune Sea to Galactic Center in great anticipation, and we were not disappointed!

The down side? Well, WHERE WAS GEORGE???? My dear Mr. Lucas, you should have been there. I know you were in Europe with Indiana Jones, but there are these things they have nowadays called "JET PLANES"... I know you have a passport and you can afford the ticket, so don't give my any crappy excuses! Thanks for the cake, though!

Other UP sides? The postage stamps. Brilliant idea. Those put Star Wars into mainstream history forever. I loved them. I loved the USPS's website promo, voting for the Yoda Stamp, the whole deal... well, except for the grump at my local post office who said Star Wars was just a copy of a bunch of other movies....

Another great thing was The History Channel's special "Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed". Awesomely entertaining and educational at the same time.

Down side? "The Family Guy." Again, I must speak to you, Mr. Lucas.... What the h-e-double-toothpicks were you thinking when you approved this? Have you forgotten that CHILDREN love Star Wars? Don't give me any crap about "Family Guy" not being for kids, because when they, and unknowing parents, see "Star Wars" they think "Family Friendly". Associating Star Wars with child molestation is not a wise marketing move, IMO. Thankfully I saw it and warned the parents of my grandsons to avoid it! Then I tried to erase it from my memory as quickly as I erased it from my DVR.

In 2006 I was invited to join the ranks of the PLB and the Spew Crew, and over the course of 2007, these people have become my lifeline to sanity! True and lasting friendships have grown out of these groups, and I'll forever be grateful for Star Wars for bringing us together.

2007 found me joining the Jedi Assembly and the Rebel Legion, and learning that costuming goes far beyond Halloween! Now to convince Grampy-Wan to build me a car like this...

The Star Wars blogging community has had its shares of high and lows. A lot of terrific blogs are getting lost among the garbage. Stooge's "Joke of the Day" and JediPrincess77's "BFD Celebration." A few stalkers and weirdoes coming out of the woodwork were far outnumbered by the Good Guys.... But "Featured Blogs of the Day" that have no entries, or ones with the last entry having been in 2006? Or the same ones coming up over and over without having new entries? "Most Popular Blog Entries" that are over a year old... Come on, LFL, I know you can do better than that... if the volunteer mods are too busy to patrol the place, then PAY someone to do it.... We pay for the privilege of posting here, the least you can do is give us a professionally run blog-o-sphere....

As the end of 2007 approaches, I realize that it means nothing in terms of my life, it's just another day going by. But I hope that 2008 brings more good times and Star Wars fun into my life, and the lives of all my friends!

May the Force be with us all!

BALANCED FORCE DAY? BFD! (DAY FIVE)

It's a BFD extravaganza! It's a Wonderful Blog... Anakin sends presents home, dinner at the Jedi Temple.... A Jedi sings her heart out for BFD...



BALANCED FORCE DAY? BFD! (DAY FIVE)

For the final day of BFD Week, let's go all in with celebration!

ANAKIN SENDS PACKAGES HOME TO MOMMY
BFD DINNER AT THE JEDI TEMPLE
ANAKIN VISITS UNCLE PALPY
OBI-WAN HAS HIS OWN BFD WISH


And a lonely Jedi Master Granny sings her heart out for BFD:

ALL I WANT FOR BFD IS OBI-WAN

Take back the blasters and holograms.
Sonic grenades on a string.
If I meditated all night long,
I would ask the Force for just one thing...

I don't need speeder rides in the night.
Don't want to see the sky of blue.
Take back the brandy, fizzies and wine,
'Cause all I want for BFD is you!

I don't need clone troopers,
They don't matter to me!
All that I want, can't be found
Underneath my BFD Tree!

You are the Jedi atop my list.
You are my Force Mate, it's true
Oh, Master Obi-Wan, give me what I need,
'Cause all I want for BFD is you!

I don't need hyperdrive rings,
Laser bolts and flashing strobes.
All that I want, can only be found
Underneath those Jedi robes...

You are the Jedi atop my list
You are my Force Mate, it's true!
Please Master Obi-Wan, give me what I need,
'Cause all I want for BFD is you!

Obi-Wan? Where are you going? Come back... I have a present for you...

BALANCED FORCE DAY? BFD! (DAY FOUR)

Another early posting... celebrating Thursday of BFD...For JP77's "Sing A Long"...
Do You Hear What I Hear? Farm Boy Version....

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? They're only voices....

Said the desert wind to the Farmer Boy
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, Farmer Boy?
Do you see what I see?
A star, a Death Star, shining in the night
With a laser that's big, green and bright?
With a laser that's big, green and bright!

Said the Farm Boy to the little droid?,
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, little Droid,
Do you hear what I hear?
Hyperdrives, and turbolasers in the air
Does Darth Vader have any hair?
Does Darth Vader have any hair?

Said the little Droid to the Jedi Master.
"Do you know what I know?
Waiting in your hut, Jedi Master.
Do you know what I know?
A Princess needs you and your magic skills
Before the Rebellion the Empire kills...
Before the Rebellion the Empire kills.

Said the Jedi Master to Dark Sith Lord
"Listen to what I say!
Kill me and I'll hurt you even more
Listen to what I say!
A child, your child, is shining with the Force
He will be a great Jedi of course...
He will be the greatest Jedi of course!

HAPPY BFD, DAY FOUR, ESPECIALLY TO ALL THOSE LUKE LOVERS!

BALANCED FORCE DAY? BFD! (DAY THREE)

In honor of my favorite Balanced Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi...

Another view of the First Balanced Force Day....

I'll have a blue Force Ghost without you.
I'm just sad meditating about you
The stars in the sky next to my tree of red
Just aren't the same dear, since now that you're dead.

And when the Death Star finally exploded
My memories of you just imploded.
We're all doing all right, with our Balanced Force of light...
But now you're a blue, blue Force Ghost.



OK, well I suck at this... LOL... I think I'll go back to photoshopping... LOL

Have a great BFD #3 everyone...

BALANCED FORCE DAY? BFD! (DAY TWO)

BALANCED FORCE DAY? BFD! (DAY ONE)

Balanced Force Day had to start somewhere.... my alter ego gets snarky with the Masters...

Inspired by JediPrincess77's blog about Balanced Force Day, and being a snarky mood, I created a tale about the very FIRST BFD, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

For an intro, Traelyn, Obi-Wan's secret love, is a Jedi who has been in exile on a small moon since the fall of the Republic... .

And, so I give you TRAELYN'S FIRST BALANCED FORCE DAY

And while you're there, browse the recently revamped "Official PLB Fan Fiction & Fan Art Club"

THE WAR OF THE WORDS - Part Two

You were the Chosen One. It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness! It's a sequel, you have to read it...



Last week I wrote about words... and about when a boy becomes a man and a man becomes a Jedi, and Jedi becomes a Man. That was about becoming a Man with a capital "M" (This is symbolic, not sexist, it applies to female Jedi as well).

This is about a Jedi becoming a man.

* * *

It is a story of love and loss, brotherhood and betrayal, courage and sacrifice and the death of dreams. It is a story of the blurred line between our best and our worst. (Matthew Stover, "Revenge of the Sith")


* * *

It's no secret around these parts, or anywhere in the galaxy, that I love Obi-Wan Kenobi. And not just because the young Obi-Wan is hot and sexy. Which he is, but that's beside the point.

To me, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the epitome of a Jedi Knight. He is not perfect, but he is the best of the Jedi. Not as arrogant as Anakin, not as stubborn as Mace Windu, not as rigid as Yoda, he nevertheless lives his life as a Jedi. He was dedicated, faithful, courageous, and above all, honorable.

And he is rewarded. He becomes a Jedi Master, he is chosen for the Jedi Council. He is a war hero, and yet a peacemaker, known for his negotiating skills, he has the respect of the Republic. He fights the war with words.

And so he goes to Mustafar, in spite of his reluctance to do so, and does his duty as a Jedi. He tries to save Anakin with words, but to no avail.

"The boy you trained," Yoda had told him, "Gone he is, consumed by Darth Vader." In spite of his Master's words of advice, he tries anyway.

"You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind, until now.... Now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy." Powerful words, but words that Anakin ignores. Even near the end, Obi-Wan tries to save him with words. "It's over Anakin, I have the high ground."

* * *

"I hate you!"

"You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you." At that moment, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the great Jedi Master, becomes an ordinary man. Thinking he has just killed his best friend, the boy with who he has spent almost every day of the past thirteen years, he turns away with his heart broken, his life shattered.

But it is only for that one terrible moment that he is an ordinary man, and then he becomes a Jedi again. He leaves Anakin to the will of the Force, and sets about trying to save Anakin's wife and unborn child.

He volunteers to watch over baby Luke. He sentences himself to exile on a harsh and unforgiving planet that sucks the very life out of his bones, aging him far beyond his years.

I love old Obi-Wan Kenobi, too. When I first saw ANH, which was called "Star Wars" in those days, I wished I had old Ben Kenobi as a grandfather. Someone wise, and compassionate and caring, yet strong and brave. A crazy old wizard? I don't think so. He was still a Jedi Master.

He lives with, and somehow makes peace with, his regrets. How do I know this? Because, when baby Luke becomes a young man, Obi-Wan accepts his duty to teach Luke the ways of the Force. He honors his promise to Master Yoda to watch over Luke, for as far as he may know, he could be the last of the Jedi. If he doesn't teach Luke, who will?

* * *

I joked that I always tell Obi-Wan not to give up to Vader on board the Death Star, and he always does it anyway.

I don't think Obi-Wan found death to be anything but a relief from his torment. He probably welcomed it. His premature aging had left him feeling useless, and clumsy, and in pain. Yes, he still carried his regrets with him into the afterlife, but as my friend Jedi Master Mina points out, he thought he'd be more useful to Luke as a Force ghost.

And that's a valid point. As a ghost, he is free to explore the depths of the Force, to continue learning, and to appear to Luke when he needs help without Luke having the burden of looking after an old man.

He helps Luke with words when he can't with actions.

* * *

For all my friends on the Internet, here on this site and on other forums I hang out at, all brought to me by a shared love of Star Wars, I am thankful. Without their words these past few years I would be a lost soul, a Jedi without thought or purpose.

So, my words to all of you this Thanksgiving, is Thank the Maker for Star Wars... Star Wars is after all, only words, but words that have brought a galaxy to life, and life to this galaxy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

THE WAR OF THE WORDS

When does a man become a Jedi? Or is it the other way around... Words that changed our beloved GFFA for better or for worse...

THE WAR OF THE WORDS or WORDS THAT CHANGED A GALAXY

"Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi" (Qui-Gon Jinn, TPM)

The true beginning of our tale, when the wheels of Fate were set in motion.

Qui-Gon: "Promise me you will train the boy!"
Obi-Wan: "Yes, Master..."

Poor Obi-Wan, how could he refuse his dying master's last wish? Barely trained himself, he was too young and inexperienced to be training anyone, much less The (supposed) Chosen One.

How many times he must have regretted making that promise. But he has become a true Jedi, and cannot go back on his word.

"I love you." (Padme Amidala, AOTC)
"I'll do anything you ask." (Anakin Skywalker, ROTS)

Stupid, stupid kids...

"You must do what you feel is right, of course." (Obi-Wan Kenobi, ANH)

And Luke does, even with confusion and grief in his heart, he goes with Old Ben and takes control of his own destiny. He becomes a warrior, and a hero, realizing that he must have been meant for greater things than being a farmer.

Obi-Wan: "If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Don't do it, Obi-Wan! (I say that every time, and every time he raises that saber and lets Vader kill him. OK, he saved the mission, but he might have been more useful to Luke and the Rebellion alive...He never listens to me...)

"No, I am your father." (Darth Vader, ESB)

Here's where out hero takes a fall, literally. Showing his first bit of true Jedi wisdom, he realizes that the unknown or even death is better than turning to the Dark Side.

This is why Obi-Wan told him, "If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere."

My response would have been, "Why the heck not?" But it was a true test of Luke's character. He faced the easy way out, the temptation of power he could have had by taking his father's hand and going with him, and he resisted it. This is where this particular man becomes a Jedi.

"I am a Jedi, like my father before me." (Luke Skywalker, ROTJ)

He has faced down his worst nightmares, his deepest fears, and is ready to accept his fate, even if it's death, but he will not turn evil.

He could easily have said, "OK, Palpy, kill the old man and I'll help you run the Empire!" But no, that is not the Jedi way. And this where this particular Jedi becomes a man.

The true battle for control of the Galaxy Far,Far Away was fought with words. Words that changed the galaxy, words that turned boys into men, and men into Jedi and Jedi into Men.

That is the way of things, the way of the Force.

JEDI IN PINK SOCKS

>
Here it is, the long awaited follow-up to "Jedi in Purple Underwear"...

Aw, Artoo, what am I doing here? In Scottsdale? It's like something out of a dream. A pretty nice dream, the weather is good. I'd give it an A+ in dreams.

Saturday night I went out with the Rebel Legion and the Dune Sea Garrison of the 501st to work the sidewalk out in front of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Why? Because Charlie Ross was there with his "One Man Star Wars Trilogy" and we got in for free!

I wore blue underwear this time, to match my lightsaber... Hansgirl will be happy to hear that the strategic placement of eight hairpins kept my head from falling off all night...

Whoever said storm troopers aren't nice haven't met these guys. And Boba Fett knows me from somewhere, probably the RL forum, and damned if I can remember what he said his name was, but when I said I was Granny-Wan to someone else he looked up and said "Granny???!" LOL

One of the troopers had a working Artoo unit that he built! A fantastic piece of work. He had it roll up to the curb when the local trolley pulled up, and the driver opened the door and Artoo rotated his dome in a "no" and then rolled away. The driver and the passengers were all laughing hysterically.

One passerby was desperately trying to get us to go to the Martini Ranch across the street. Perhaps he afraid his drinking buddies wouldn't believe him... "Are you guys headed for the bar? Oh, you gotta come with me!"

A rude young woman asked Darth Vader to grab his crotch for a picture... he just ignored her and I told her, "move along, move along..."

Two young men with beers in their hands stopped to chat, one trying to get the other to go in to see the show... "We grew up on this stuff, man!" But apparently the other man was more interested in the bar scene... hell, you can do that any night...

Somewhere the City if Scottsdale Cultural Council had pictures of another Jedi and I dueling Darth Maul... somewhere there are tons of pictures of me and the rest of the group in cell phones... all over the valley there are tourists calling home with, "You won't believe what we saw tonight!"



Yes, that's me on stage with Charlie Ross... woo-hoo! What a nice man. I passed on the opportunity to go party with him and the group... Hey, it was late, and I'm old.. and it was Dutch Treat and I'm saving my pennies to go to Wondercon...

That won't be as difficult now that I have two costume projects in the works for other people... I can spend their money and still have the fun of making costumes.... More to come on that front in a later blog...

Luke: I thought you were black!
Vader/Anakin: No, that's just my voice. That's James Earl Jones. It's a rather long story, and I'm pretty busy dying right now, so maybe you could look it up on Star Wars dot com. Or ask one of those people up there in costume, if they don't know I don't know who would!"

If someone comes up with some better pictures, I’ll update...

And that be all...

MORE PHOTOSHOP FUN!

or... "yes, baby, I like it like that...."

THE BOYS OF AUTUMN or WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Boston, Schmoston... A report from the Arizona Fall League... observations on names and titles that will make you.... wince...

THE BOYS OF AUTUMN or WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Every time I go to a game, I come up with all sorts of ideas for a blog. Observations, stupid people, funny happenings... but then I always forget by the time I get home. I should really carry a notebook. I'd take my laptop, but with my luck it would get hit by a foul ball.

The Arizona Fall League has some interesting team names. Scorpions, Solar Sox, Javelinas, Saguaros, Rafters, and Desert Dogs. Sometimes there are exhibition games, and last Friday afternoon I saw Team China play the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

There's sure a lot less arguing with the umpires when they don't speak the same language. But I've learned that looking the umpire right in the eyes, while shrugging one's shoulders in an exaggerated manner with the hands held palm up is evidently the international gesture for, "You called THAT a strike?"

I know, it's so wrong, but some of the players' names made me hungry for Chinese Food. I just couldn't help it, I was hungry and I refuse to buy ballpark food in a place where they don't let you bring your own. It's a matter of principle. I don't have many, but that's one of them. I refuse to be extorted for food money.

Then there was the guy sitting behind us who told his companion, in all seriousness, "Today my name is Steven," and the other man says, "OK." Luckily they were SEVERAL ROWS behind us.

It really made me think about names, though. Today I noticed some names on the backs of the Scottsdale Scorpions, my home team. The manager's name is HALE, which is good, because you wouldn't a manager who was feeling puny. I think NOWAK should be a pitcher, not an infielder. Then there was NICKERS.... I hope he doesn't get his in a bind. And LIVESLY... it's always good to "look alive out there!"

Movies have names, or rather they have titles. And sometimes the title and the movie really fit together, like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Independence Day. The Terminator. Air Force One. Good titles for good movies. Sometimes good movies have lame titles, and vice versa. The American President... decent movie, lame name. Because I Said So... funny title, lame movie.

I thought Attack of the Clones was a dumb name, because that wasn't what the movie was really about. But that may be a leftover from that old idea we all had back in the 1977 that "the clone wars" were fought about cloning or the ethics of cloning, not that they were fought BY clones. Not that that doesn't bring up a lot of ethics questions in itself, but I'm here to talk names.

There's a big difference in names between Jedi and Sith, too. I'm a member of The Jedi Assembly costuming group. We all have Jedi names. They're supposed to be "other worldly" which sometimes just means a weird spelling or letter combination, or the liberal use of the hyphen. "Granny-Wan" is OK for the forum, but it's not acceptable as a Jedi name.

I guess the Jedi have names that are from their home planets. Like Ki-Adi-Mundi, perhaps everyone on his planet has a double hyphen, and folks from Yoda's neck of the galaxy have only one name.

The Sith like to make their names sound nasty. Bane, Maul, Vader, Sidious, Tyranus, Plagueus. Things to which you won't wish to cuddle up. Darth Fluffy just wouldn't have the same effect as a man named after a deadly contagious disease.

According to the old man in "Logan's Run" a cat has three names. His official name, the name you call him, and his real name, the one he won't tell you. Not long after the release of ROTS, we had a litter of kittens born at our house. The striped one was Sith Lightning; the black one was Vader, Dark Lord of the Hiss; and the one with blue eyes is Obi-Wan Katnobi.

They were soon shortened to Stripes, Vader and The Ob-ster... I still have him with me, and I still don't know his real name...

As far as blogging ideas that occur while I'm away from the PC, maybe someday I will take the laptop along and blog from the ballpark. Then people will be looking at me funny instead of the other way around.

MY TWO DEAREST FRIENDS GET LUCKY

A COLORING BOOK!

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